Ernest a



(No Model.)

E. A. OLDENBUSOH.

SPRING OR SNAP CLASP POR POCKET BOOKS. N0. 367,544. Patented Aug. 2, 1887.

N. PETERS Phownmogmphcf. wmningw, n. c,

UNITED STATES PATENT GEEICE.

EENEsr A. oLDENBUsoH, 0E NEW YORK, N. Y., AssiGNoE 'ro WILLIAM i sci-HMPEE a oo., oE SAME PLACE.

SPRING OR SNAP CLASP FOR POCKET-BOOKS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 367,544, dated August 2, 1887.

(No model.)

To @ZZ whom i may concern:

Beit known that I, ERNEST A OLDENBUscH, of the city and county of New York, in the State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Spring or Snap Clasps for Pocket-Books, of which the following is a specification.

The :invention relates to snap-clasps, such as are used on pocket-books, and which severally comprise a back plate or bottom secured upon the body of the pocket-book, and provided with a pin projecting from its face, which receives upon it the {iap of the pocketbook, and a hinged front plate or top which is actuated by a spring to hold it down upon the end of the pin and to secure the ilap in place or to hold it in its raised or open position.

As heretofore constructed, the bot-tom plate or back has usually had the hinge-bearer divided transversely or formed double and pro duced integral with it, and at the back ofthe back plate has been secured a plate or piece having prongs or spurs extending from it, and the spring-plate has been held and secured between such prongs or spurs, thus forni-ing four prin ci pal parts of the device-namel y, the front plate or top, the back plate or bottom, the fastening-plate with its tngersor prongs, and the springplate.

, An important object of my invention is to simplify the construction of this device, and to this end I form the spring for the snap integral with the bottom or back platethat is to say, I slotor cut the back plate so as to form the spring therefrom. I also place the securing plate or piece with its prongs upon the upper or outer side of the back plate, or I may have said prongs projecting through slots in the back plate, or I may and I do form the divided hinge-bearer upon the fastening plate or piece, and not upon the back plate or bottom, as heretofore. The securing plate or piece is secured against turning relatively to the back plate or bottom by the prongs or spurs which pass through the back plate or bottom, and is additionally secured by projections or spurs which extend through perforations in the back plate or bottom, and are riveted or turned over at the ends. Vith this construction it is absolutely impossible for the back plate or botinproper position to act upon the snap-lip of the top or front plate.

Another feature of my invention consists in a novel formation of the hingebearer on the top or front plate and the lip on which the spring bears to form the snap, both said bearer and lip being formed integral with the front plate or top and without solder.

This feature of the invention consists in the combination, with the bottom and spring ot' a snap-clasp for pocket-books, of a hinged top having its bearer and the snapdip formed by a bent tongue which projects from the top, and which has a portion folded inward upon the tongue itself to complete the bearer. The foldedin portion may consist of a projection from the side of the tongue, bent over upon the top of the tongue itself to complete the bearer.

The invention will be more fully hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure lisa transverse section of a clasp embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is an inverted plan thereof. Fig. 3 is a sectional view upon the plane of the dotted line .fr m, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a sectional view upon the plane ofthe dotted line yy, Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is anedge view of the front plate or top with its bearer and integral lip. Fig. 6 represents a blank, from which the front plate with its hinge-bearer and lip may be formed; and Figs. 7 and 8 are respectively an edge view of the front plate or top and a plan of the blank from which it is formed, illustrating a preferred modification of my invention.

All the figures are drawn upon a scale much larger than actual size, and in all of them the same letters ofrcference designate correspon di ing parts.

A designates a front plate or top, and B a back plate or bottom provided with a pin, C,

Lon the end of which the front plate bears.

which is upon the upper or outer side of the back plate or bottom B, and is secured to the face ot' the back plate or bottom by a rivet formed from the stud G, and by prongs or spurs d', formed upon the securing plate or piece D,insertcd through perforations or holes bin the back plate and clinched or riveted over. Between the two portions of the divided bearer el is received a bearer, e, upon the top or front plate, A, and this bearer has formed integral with it a lip, c', on which a spring, B, bears to produce the snap of the clasp. As here represented, this spring B is produced integral with the back plate or bottoni, B, by slitting it at the points b2. The securing plate or piece Dchas prongs or spurs d2, which are bent from it, as shown in Fig. 4,-, and which project through perforations or slots b in the back plate or bottoni, B, as best shown in Figs. 2 and 4, but also in Fig. 3. The prongs or spurs d are to be inserted through the body of the pocketbook and serve to hold the clasp securely in place thereon, while the flap is placed over the pin C, and is secured by the front plate or top, A, closing down with a snap upon the end of the pin.

lt is desirable to forni the spring B integral with the back plate or bottom, B, as thereby a separate spring-plate is saved, and inasmuch as the fastening plate or piece D and the bottoni B are securely held against turning by the prongs or spurs di, passing through the bottom, and by the spurs orprojections d, riveted over at the perl'orations i), the spring B will alw'ays be held in the proper position to bear directly upon the snap-lip e.

In Figs. 5 and 6 I have represented more fully the manner of producing the front plate or top, A,k with the hinge-bearer c and the snap-lip e. The front plate or top, A, or the blank i'ronl which it is formed, as shown in Fig. G, is produced with a tongue, s, extending from it and notched at the points s. As best shown in Fig. 5, the portion of the tongue s inward of the notches is bent into approximately U-shaped form, and the portion thereof which is beyond the notches is Vfolded inward upon the upper surface ofthe tongue, so as to complete the bearer and securely hold in place the hinge pinY or pintle o. rllhis construction is desirable because it gives a rounded form to the end of the lip c', and also because the notches s reduce the width of bearing-surface .ofthe spring B upon the lip e', and thereby enables the clasp to work easier.

n the construction shown by Figs. S and S) the tongues, projecting from the blank of the front plate or top, A, has a lateral projection, s2, from its side, and that portion of the tongue s which is inward of the lateral projection sL is bent into U-shaped form to produce the bearer e, while that portion ofthe tongues which is beyond the lateral projection s2 constitutes the snap -lip e. The lateral projection or tongue s'l is bent inward upon the surface of the tongue s, in order to complete the bearer for the reception of the hinge pin or pintle 0.

Vhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The combination, with the front plate or top of a hinged pocketbook clasp having a hinge-bearer and snaplip at its edge, of abettom or back plate having cut from it a springtongue bearing on the lip, and a securing plate or piece on the upper or outer side of the bottom or back plate, having a hinge-bearer for receiving a pinte, whereby it is hinged to the front plate or top, and a pin on which the front plate or top closes, and also having prongs or spurs projecting through slots in the bottoni or back plate and for insertion through the leather of the book, substantially as herein described.

2. The combination, with the front plate or top, A, having a hinge-bearer anda snap-lip, of the back plate or bottom, B, having slots b b', and a springtongue,formed from it, the securing plate or piece D, having a hingebearer and prongs or spurs di, which pass through the slots b', and prongs or spurs d, which are clinched in the slots b, and the pin G. Vforming a stud or rivet to secure the parts B D together, substantially as herein described.

3. The combination, with the bottom and spring of a snap-clasp for pocket-books, of the hinged top. A, having its bearer and a snap-lip 'formed by a bent tongue which projects from the top, and which has a portion foldedinward upon the tongue itself to complete the bearer,

Substantially as herein described.

4. The combination, with the bottoni and its spring, of a top hinged thereto and having its bearer and ajsnap formed by a benttongue, s, and a lateral projection, s2, from the side ot' the tongue, bent o'ver upon the tongue to cornplete the bearer, substantially as herein described.

nnNEsT A. oLDnNUsoH.

Witnesses:

C. HALL, RonnRT R. Dnnnounn.

IOO 

